Winter TV Preview

Winter is such a good time to curl up after a long day of work (especially after this week’s storm). It’s nice to just plop yourself down in front of the TV and enjoy whatever caters to your needs. And this winter, there are a new crop of shows that are sure to please just about everyone’s likings.

Reality shows: Check. “The Bachelor,” “Survivor: Redemption Island,” “Teen Mom 2,” “Jersey Shore” and “The Celebrity Apprentice” all return to feed your guilty-pleasure needs.

Cops, doctors and lawyers: Check. What would TV be without them. Newbies “The Chicago Code,” “Body of Proof,” and “Harry’s Law” are here to help. The later features Kathy Bates in her first role as the headliner of a TV series, and I’m sure she’ll take to the character of a recently-fired lawyer who starts up her own practice quite well.

There’s also a slew of everything in between, from returning FX drama “Justified,” to a gladiator-eske newbie “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” on Starz.

Here are six other newbies I’ll be taking a chance on this winter while I wait for the snow to melt.

“Bob’s Burgers” (FOX — Sun. Jan 9 — 8:30 p.m.)

An animated comedy that premiered Sunday about a man who runs a burger joint with his wife and three kids. He may not be smartest guy when it comes to running his place, but he’s got heart. On the comedic side, it may not bring in as many random pop-culture references as “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons” but it’s a dry, subtle humor that makes it work, especially when delivered from Bob, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, of FX’s “Archer.”

“Being Human” (Syfy —
Mon. Jan. 17 — 9 p.m.)
A ghost, a vampire and a werewolf — the three main characters of this show — are roommates together, just trying to live a normal life. Not quite as teen-friendly as “Twilight,” but not quite as adult-only as “True Blood.” I’m not a huge fan of the vampire/werewolf craze, but with decent actors (Sam Huntington as the wolf, Sam Witwer as the vamp and Meaghan Rath as the invisible ghost) the show seems it could take on a life of its own.

“Mr. Sunshine” (ABC — Wed. Feb. 9 — 9:30 p.m.)
Matthew Perry (“Friends”) and Allison Janney team up as Ben and Crystal, manager and owner of a mid-size sports arena. Ben has just turned the big 4-0 and feels he may want to settle down and change the direction of his life. Add attractive marketing director Alice (Andrea Anders) and newbie employee Roman (Nate Torrence), who also happens to be the son of Crystal, and you get a comedic ensemble I think will be worth your time. Judging from the clips I’ve seen, the punchlines are decent and with such a great cast I think “Mr. Sunshine” will stay bright for awhile.

“Lights Out” (FX — Tues. Jan. 11 — 10 p.m.)
“Lights Out” premiered Tuesday and follows Patrick “Lights” Leary, a former boxing champ who struggles to support his family. As the money runs out he faces a choice between getting back in the ring (which his wife highly disapproves of) for some easy money or take a regular job that will barely make ends meet for his wife and three daughters. The premier was good; a bit slow at times, but it was setting the premise, so I think it’ll pick up. FX shows rarely disappoint, so “Lights Out” will surely be a knockout hit soon enough. Holt McCallany does a great job as boxer Leary and Stacy Keach has a supporting role as his father.

“Skins” (MTV — Mon. Jan. 17 — 10 p.m.)
A teen show focusing on sex, drugs and drinking. So what differentiates “Skins” from any other teen drama? For starters, it stars teens playing teens — so it brings a more realistic feel to it. And it’s also a bit more scandalous and hard-hitting, as it focuses on some pretty intense subject matters and some scenes look as if they should be on premium cable. It looks like it could be an interesting take on how out-of-control the direction of teenager’s lives seem to be heading these days.

“Shameless” (Showtime —
Sun. Jan. 9 — 10 p.m.)
William H. Macy plays an alcoholic, single dad with a herd of kids (six, to be exact). The first episode of “Shameless” was Sunday, but I haven’t had time to give it a shot yet. It’s a role not befitting of Macy, so I’m curious as to how he’ll do. The six kids could easily carry the show, as they all seem to be interesting, independent characters all on their own.

Looking ahead to Spring:
“The Killing” (AMC — Sun. April 3 — 10 p.m.)

“The Killing” doesn’t premier until April, but I think it’s going to be a really gripping show that you should keep an eye out for. It follows the aftermath of a young girl’s murder and the people involved — police detectives, the parents, the suspects and even the mayor of the town — all revealing to us that not everything is as it seems; everyone has a secret. Each episode is played out in real time, so one episode is equal to one day. Right now there are scant clips out about the show, but from what little there are “The Killing” seems to be captivating and intense — which I would expect from the network that has brought us “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.”